Charles Dickens and Music

OLONCELLO,

when a 'band of music' burst into the good man's room, consisting of a drum, marrow-bones and cleavers, and bells, 'not the bells but a portable collection on a frame.' We gather from Leech's picture that other instrumentalists were also present. Sad to relate, the drummer was not quite

orchestra, as, for instance, when the Phe

e orchestra

rotracted as long as it was supposed that the patience of the orchestra could possibly bear it, was put a stop to by another jerk of

of instruments employed. This would be in 1836, when the experiment of day entertainments was given a trial, and a series of balloon ascents became the principal attraction. Forster tells us that Dickens was a frequent visitor a

in a

uments, though it was to the strains of a solitary fiddle that Simon Tappertit danced a hornpipe for

t up to the lofty desk, and made an orchestr

gle's curiosity, as he met them being carried up the staircase of The Bull at Rochester, while, shortly after, the tuning of both harps and fiddles inspired Mr. Tupman with a strong desire to go to the ball. Sometimes the orc

ent 'at sight' found, from fatal experience, the perfect truth of the old adage, 'Out of sight, out of mind'; for being very near-sighted, and being placed at a considerable distance from his music-book, all he had an opportunity of doing was to play a bar now and then in the wrong place, and put the other performers out. It is, however, but justice to Mr. Brown to say th

he other two. There were differences between these remaining musicians and Mr. Harleigh, who played the title r?le, the orch

er danced 'a trifle in the Spanish style,' much to their father's astonishment a

in the middle of last century than it is now. Caddy Jellyby (B.H.), after her marriage to a dancing-master, found a knowledge of the piano and

a dancing-master's fid

g Irish gentleman, as told by the one-eyed

d he had no doubt he could, but he couldn't exa

lon

cheerful-looking, hazel-e

nce in every week transported from Islington, his place of abode, to a certain club-room hard by the Bank, where

'that he would make a bonfire of his violoncello, and burn his books with it.' There was only a thin partition between the rooms which the

h the whole of Beethoven's Sonata in B, to let him kn

nata has not hithe

olace himself by producing 'the most dismal and forlorn sounds out of his violoncello before going to bed,' a proc

round regularly, his violoncello was in good tune, and

practising his instrument in his bedroom, used to give

er' that Bucket visited the house of the dealer in musical in

a

r dancing-parties and concerts. When Esther Summerson went to call on the Turveydrops (B.H.) she found the hall blocked up with a grand piano, a harp, and various other instruments which had been used at a conc

g of her engagement to one of these he mourned for a very brief period, and then went forth and gloriously defeated his old enemy the butcher boy. What a contrast between this humour and the strange scene in the drawing-room at

n the harp; and played, among o

crooge of a t

listened to it often, years ago, he might have cultivated t

player and singer. Did they inherit this love from their father? 'You are fond of music,' said the Hon. Mrs. Skewton to Mr. Dombey during an interval in a game of

c, and no knowledge of the strain she played; but he saw her bending over it,

ing Mr. Dombey did not know that it was 'the air

i

sa Malderton, who nearly fell a prey to that gay deceiver Mr. Horatio Sparkins (S.B.T. 5). Her contribut

ble that Dickens was thinking of a very popular piece which he mu

ts from the Duke of Wellington and Prince Blucher's marching to that capital to the evacuati

s articles of the capitulation. These are eighteen in number, and each has its own 'theme.' The intersp

d 'The Downfall of Paris,'

I have to t

arte and

it has g

his plans

or

n Bull, rise

er loudly

ur auld and

o Britain

of the piano, in order that she might instruct the 'apprentices' at her husband's dancing-school. Another performer was Mrs. Namby, who entertained Mr. Pickwick with solos on a square piano while breakfast was being prepared. When questioned by David Copperfield as to the gifts of Miss Sophy Crewler, Traddles explained th

gh it might be all very well for the lower classes and the music teacher. Consequently we read of few male performer

shalsea prison, William Dorrit had been a pianist, a

no end of expense. Went into the Marshal's house once to try a new

entleman,' who strikes a note or two upon the piano, and accompanies i

te was his ear that he was wholly unable to

ano was to take a prominent part. His object was

ianner, Samivel, a pianner,' said Mr. Weller, striking his son on t

ou mean?'

er, in a still more mysterious manner, 'as he

e the good of

r. 'It 'ull hold him easy, vith his hat and shoes

little enthusiasm for his father's sch